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It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

Originally posted by slapper: Thanks for the kind words snoopy. This piece was made famous in the movie The Pianist. It's WWII btw I can't wait to play this on the RX-2 when it arrives. It was really difficult to control the dynamics on my old Yamaha U1. So glad it didn't fall apart at the end of it... [/b]

And it sounded great in spite of the out-of-tune piano in the movie .... one of the greatest piano scene in a movie!

SlapperCongrats on your nice recording. Looks and sounds like you've got a virtuoso technique. Do you play professionally or teach? May not be the piano that is out of tune. Could be the video equipment or acoustics of the room. One of my favourite pieces in the Romantic repertoire is the F minor Ballade (Chopin of course) How bout that for your inaugural recording on your RX2.

Ok lah we won't sabo you lah. New piano, very heartache for housewarming - imagine with pizza and durians, and BBQ chicken wings... in the menu. No way you will let us touch the piano keys!!

We will let you off, but pls take close up pics of the tuning pins, aggraffe, duplex, knobs, black key shape, the sexy rims, the internal veneer finishings, special veneer fall lid. You may pose with your piano - optional.

Originally posted by RichterForever: SlapperCongrats on your nice recording. Looks and sounds like you've got a virtuoso technique. Do you play professionally or teach? May not be the piano that is out of tune. Could be the video equipment or acoustics of the room. One of my favourite pieces in the Romantic repertoire is the F minor Ballade (Chopin of course) How bout that for your inaugural recording on your RX2. [/b]

Thanks Richter. I do not play professionally nor teach, although I certainly hope to do so, but have yet to reach that level of standard. I play only for fun, and my last piano lesson which I attended was almost 20 years back. Not wanting to see my technique disappear, like what happened to many after they stop lessons, I try to practice whenever I can, picking up new pieces I discover on CDs. The ballade was self-taught, just trying to push myself to the limit. I would definitely benefit more in terms of expression/dynamics if I had a professional tutor...anyone wanna teach me??

And trust me...my piano is off key, after more than 20 years with me, it's time to get a new one. I'll try to record the fantasie impromptu on the new RX-2 when she arrives.

Originally posted by snoopycar: Digitus, do you plan to climatize your music room? Aircon, special humidity control system? Back up diesel generator - hehehe? Internet monitoring ?? [/b]

The piano will go into the living room, more or less where the K-8 used to be. I won't be doing anything more for humidity control other than what I have already been doing for the K-8. I rarely open my living room to the outside for long, and by turning on the aircon a couple of times a day I can maintain the RH fairly steadily around the 65% to 70% mark.

Don't need a dehumidifier. And I already monitor RH with TWO wireless meters (to average out the readings). I may spend a few hundred bucks for something that is more accurate, can log, and can be calibrated (RH sensors must be calibrated at least once a year).

I actually have somewhat of the opposite problem - when the aircon is on for an extended period of time (say a couple of hours) at night, the RH can fall as low as 45%!

Anyway I've discussed this with Mr Sauter and he firmly believes that I don't need to do any more. If anything, the higher humidity in the tropics means that pianos here will never develop cracks in the soundboard or lose crown!

Originally posted by Davinci: CMK: Thanks for recommending Alvin, a very fruitful trip. A very good benchmark and now quite spoilt with too much from a good thing.

Anyway a very unpleasant experience for my piano search today and i wonder does anyone encountered similar situation elsewhere:

Went to KAWAI the 2nd time but this time at PARKWAY. Shamed on the person who attended me, mid-aged lady with badly drawn eye makeup, reluctantly open the glass door when i requested to play on the new range of K series.

When i briefly introduced myself as a begineer, i pedalled on K8 playing my little piece and there goes she said "Begineers dont use pedals" Anyway i dont give it a damn continued pedalling and moved on to K6 and then K5 and this lady continued to comment "seems you dont have a good technic cause you hit the keys hard" (i dont see what's wrong when i recalled Alvin's hitting one key so hard that freaks me a little" And then she commented i should go back to Millenium and look for the sales person that ever serviced me etc.

From the start i was very tolerant with that particular service and I was very irritated throughout when she stared at me when i played and later claimed she's not a pianist neither the sales person (when i requested a sales person to attend)

It was very upsetting the whole day for a brand that i'm in favor and yet very unhappy and disappointed by the service delievered today. And the rest of the piano search at nearby area was also disappointing as well. (Not many people know what they are selling).

And rather obvious IMO and sad to say, in Singapore the dealers' integrity and the after sales service bundles should prior than any other factors.

Anyway not giving up...will continue the west and town area soon.

Good Luck to ME [/b]

Just replying to an old post if you don't mind. I'm sorry to hear about your unpleasant experience. I'll just like to share that I had a very different experience altogether at the Millenia branch. I was served by this middle-aged dealer, very professional and polite. Mind you, I wasn't dressed formally, was in my weekend gear of t-shirt, berms and flip flops. She could have chased me out of the showroom if she had wanted to.

So I put my hands on the grands, even the Steinway, although I was clearly aware of my financial limitations. Played pieces by Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Schubert - she did not restrict me to the number of pieces that I could try, but encouraged me to take my time. I was very pleased by her professional service.

I was also well served by the lady at Hailun. She wasn't imposing and was informal, which made me comfortable. I spent almost 2 hrs in the showroom trying all the different models.

Would like to share a tip here though. When trying on a piano, play a classical piece instead of pop music (read richard claydeman), even if it means a grade 1 or grade 2 classical piece, it is ok. Some dealers tend to judge you by the type of music you play, or even your repertoire.

Originally posted by Digitus:......]The piano will go into the living room, more or less where the K-8 used to be. .... [/b]

Being a grand compare to the K-8, wouldn't it benefit from higher ceiling volume?

And where the K-8 used to be, nearer to the main door - with reference to RH, wouldn't that be a spot most likely to have changes in RH because the main door gets opened more frequently? [/b]

Actually not in the home. 8 - 12 ft is OK as long as the room acoustics are well-controlled.

As for the main door, no problem. The volume of the living room + home office is large. Opening the front door briefly to enter/exit the flat does not allow that much outside air to mix with the internal air. In any case, the outside air's RH can be as low as 73 - 75% on some days.

Originally posted by slapper:..... like to share a tip here though. When trying on a piano, play a classical piece instead of pop music (read richard claydeman), even if it means a grade 1 or grade 2 classical piece, it is ok. Some dealers tend to judge you by the type of music you play, or even your repertoire.

Have fun piano shopping. I certainly enjoyed mine. [/b]

My personal experience, when I initially auditioned some pianos without a pianist in tow (I don't play the piano) and I got whoever at the place to play was still fairly positive. In my jeans and T, and zero repertoire.

When the experience was repeated with a pianist, accompanied by an extremely demanding audience of one who only wants Twinkle, twinkle, Little star, Yankee-doodle etc, the experiences were still fairly positive. In jeans, tees, carrying water bottle and literally infantile repertoire.

I think, as a customer, one should expect to be served. And allow for service to be shown. This may require patience and tact. And of course good service should be reciprocated with appreciation.

Consider wearing a singlet for the new baby. You know... a felt cover to protect against the air, in case you leave near jurong or shipyard. The air can be damaging to the lungs of your child. Vocal cord becomes rough... plegm buildup

That's if you plan to open the lid often.Does Alpha comes with a grand cover?Those quality thick velvet padded kind?

What's with the diapers analogy? I don't get it.Why must change diapers? There's no input, how to output??

The Omega (not Alpha!) will becoming with a proper cover, made to fit the case. It's from a German company that specialises in these things.

The lid will be open most likely on the singer's stick (even shorter than the short stick) from the the first time I play during the day. I will close the lid and put on the cover before I go to bed.

There is also some work ahead to persuade the two cats not to jump onto the piano. For that I have my secret weapon - packing tape put sticky side up across some large flattened cardboard cartons, which are then placed tape-up on the top of the piano when the lid is down and the cover on.

There is also the Shakey Can of Doom , but I haven't yet figured out how to use it effectively in this context.

The cats have never been a problem. Very occasionally one will find its way to the top of the K-8, but they know I don't like it so it doesn't happen often at all. I keep their claws trimmed all the time, so the K-8 has never been scratched.

Need some advice here on RH control. My piano will be placed in the living room area, and the whole apartment would prob be empty (windows closed etc) 80% of the week, as I'll pop by only weekends. Will this pose a high humidity problem?

Originally posted by slapper: Need some advice here on RH control. My piano will be placed in the living room area, and the whole apartment would prob be empty (windows closed etc) 80% of the week, as I'll pop by only weekends. Will this pose a high humidity problem? [/b]

If you can maintain the RH around 65 - 70% all day long then you'll be fine. I posted a little bit earlier in the thread that I achieve this by not opening doors and windows to the outside, and turning on the aircon twice a day. If there is someone in the the apartment to do this for you then fine. If not you can program the aircon to turn on and off once a day, each time for an hour or so.

Kawai pianos are very easy to look after because the only things that are really affected by high humidity are the pin bushings and soundboard. But those are perfectly OK at the RH levels I mentioned above.

I am of the school that does not believe in having an always-on heating rod in the piano unless it is always exposed to outside air.

Originally posted by snoopycar: oh don't fret, being a little fussy is better that regretting after making a wrong decision.

Piano won't run away. if you find one you like, take your time to confirm, go back to the store again, compare with others, bring a friend along, bring your family along.

I stand up for, we the consumer of singapore, have the right to be fussy!! hip hip horray??We want top value-of-money piano!! I'm sort of waiting for recession sale, leylong leylong, 70% discount, lai-ley...$$ in pocket standby leow [/b]

All pianos in the showrooms waiting for owners. But still cant help picking anyone anywhere. :rolleyes:

Indeed very fortunate to have each friend tacking along with me at each diff location despite none knows a single dah-thingy. Next search shall be a one man show man!!!

Anyway, when's the recession sales? i thought it has already been tag on with the GSS?